Train and rail aligner



Nov. 21, 1950 R. v. MELloR 2,530,895

TRAIN AND RAIL ALIGNER Filed Nov. 3, 1948 CEEA.. ,myk`

Patented Nov. 21, i950 UNITED STATES #PATENT OFFICE 2,530,895 Timm AND nAIL ALIGNER Ralph v. Melior, san Francisco, Calif.

Application November 3, 1948', Serial No. 58,109

:1 Claim. l

This invention relates to improvements in train truck and rail aligner.

The principal object of this linvention is to provide a device upon which toy trains may be placed so that, as they roll down an incline, the pivoted trucks thereof will be aligned with the rails upon which the cars are to roll, thereby enabling a child to quickly place a train or thecars thereof upon the tracks ready to roll thereover.

A further object is to produce a device of this character which may be used with any standard form of miniature track employed for toy trains.

A further object is to produce a device which is economical to manufacture, one which will not cause a short circuit and one which may be readily placed'upon any portion of the track.

Another object is to produce a track which is neat in appearance and one which takes up a minimum amount of room.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my device as the same would appear when positioned upon a miniature track,

Fig. 2 is a top-plan view of Fig. 1 and showing' in dotted lines two trucks positioned thereon,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged end elevation of Fig. 1 looking from the left of the drawing and showing a truck positioned thereon,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged end elevation looking from the right of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Toy trains usually consist of a car body having pivoted trucks thereon, the trucks, in turn, including the wheels for supporting the car body. Several of these cars and their trucks are usually attached together in order to form a train of any desired length. As these trucks are freely ro tatable beneath the bottom of the car body, it is often rather difficult, particularly for a small child, to place the cars and their trucks upon the rails, due to the difficulty in aligning the wheels and their anges properly on the tops of the rails.

Applicant has, therefore, produced a device which may be placed upon the tracks, whereby the train of individual cars and their respective trucks may roll therefrom directly on to the rails with the assurance that the wheels of the trucks will be in perfect alignment with the rails.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein, for the purpose of illustration, is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 designates the customary rail-supporting cross ties, upon which are mounted car-supporting rails 6 and 'l and a third rail 8, which is usually used as a conductor.

My device consists of an inclined ramp 9, having a downturned end II and diverging sides I2 and I3.

The down-turned end II, has slots I4, I6 and I1 formed therein, the slots I4 and I'l being adapted to straddle and rest upon the top of the rails 6 and 1, while the slot l5 straddles the rail 8, and is preferably spaced therefrom. Similar slots are formed at the other end.

Formed in the top side of the end A of the ramp are slots I8 and I9, between which is a raised portion forming a truck straightener 2|, which has its vertical sides adapted to engage the wheels of the truck so as to straighten the truck and the Wheels thereof into alignment slots I8 and I9 while overlying the rails 6 and 'I respectively.

By forming the sides I2 and I3 diverging, this permits the child to place the truck, as designated in dotted lines at B, on the ramp in a turned position and yet, asl it proceeds down the converging sides, the wheels of the truck will be gradually turned until the farthest-advanced wheel will come into engagement with the truck straightener 2|, from which time on the vertical faces of the raised portion will tend to straighten the truck and the Wheels thereof in alignment with the rails 6 and 'I and, therefore, as the truck rolls off of the ramp, it will roll directly on to the rails ready to be propelled over the tracks in any desired manner.

The result of this construction is that it is only necessary for a child to pick up a miniature train or a single car therefrom, to place it upon the ramp and release the same. In so doing, the various trucks of the train or cars thereof, will individually engage the truck straightener and will be in alignment with the tracks when they roll from the ramp on to the tracks.

It will thus be seen that I have produced a device which will accomplish all of the objects above set forth.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes relative to the material. size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

A toy car truck and rail aligner comprising an inclined ramp, the upper end of said ramp having a down-turned end, the lower end of said ramp and said down-turned end each having notches formed therein for engagement with the rails of a track, the lower end of said ramp having slots formed in its upper surface andi in parallel alignment with said' supporting tracks, and a truck straightener positioned on said ramp, said straightener having vertical sides parallel with said slots, whereby a train truck rolling down said ramp will have its wheels aligned with said slots and said supporting rails, the side margins of said ramp being raised above. the surfacev of said ramp to form dverging wheel-guiding side margins, diverging from the lower end of said ramp to its upper end.

RALPH V. MELIOR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

